Egypt’s African Games bantamweight bronze medallist Yomna Ayyad steps into the ring tomorrow, July 27, to open Africa’s account on the first day of the Paris Olympic Games boxing tournament.
Ayyad is pitted against Uzbekistan’s 2021 world youth champion Nigina Uktamova.
As the boxing tournament takes off with a total of 248 boxers, missing in action is Ethiopia’s promising featherweight boxer Yadesa Leta who replaced injured Nigerian African Games champion Omole Dolapo.
The Nigerian squeezed a 3-2 points win over Leta in the finals of the African qualifiers last year in Dakar, Senegal.
Efforts to get a comment from the Ethiopia Boxing Federation secretary-general, Sintayehu Tesfaye, on why Leta is not in the draw were fruitless.
With Leta out, the number of Africa’s boxers taking part in the Olympic Games has been reduced to 23.
Algeria leads with five boxers, Morocco and Egypt three boxers each, DR Congo, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Zambia two each with Mali and Tunisia having one each.
Americas is represented by 46 boxers from 12 countries, Asia 72 boxers from 16 countries, Europe 96 boxers from 26 countries and Oceania 15 boxers from four countries to bring the total to 248 boxers from 69 countries.
Thirteen African boxers – eight women and five men – got byes to the round 16 following the draws conducted on Thursday, July 26, in Paris. It’s a tough draw for the African boxers with Morocco’s reigning world heavyweight champion Khadija Mardi meeting England’s national middleweight champion and 2014 European junior gold medallist Chantelle Reid in the round of 16 on July 31 while Zambia’s African Games flyweight champion Patrick Chinyemba next Tuesday, July 30, has a date with India’s 2019 world silver medallist Amit Panghal in the round of 16.
A look at the draws and opening bouts for the 23 African boxers in Paris.
Women
Flyweight: Africa is represented by Algeria’s two-time Africa champion and a gold medallist in the continental games in Accra Roumaysa Boualam, Morocco’s world bronze medallist and two-time Africa champion Yasmine Mouttaki and Zambia’s 2022 Africa Elite Championships gold medallist Margret Tembo.
Boualam got a bye to the last 16 or pre-quarters. She will meet the winner of the round of 32 clash between Yasmine Mouttaki and Philippines southpaw Aira Villegas, a bronze medallist in the Southeast Asia Games. Mouttaki fights on Sunday evening. If Mouttaki wins, she will set up a sixth fight with rival Boualam on August 1.
Tembo is drawn against Finland southpaw, Pihla Kaivo-Oja, on Sunday evening, July 28. The Finnish boxer is 2022 European U22 silver medallist, and outpointed Nigeria’s Zainab Adeshina in the quota bout during the final world qualifiers in Bangkok, Thailand.
Bantamweight: Africa is represented by Morocco’s undisputed Africa champion Widad Bertal and Egypt’s Yomna Ayyad who is the first African boxer in action on July 27.
Widad received a bye to the round of 16 and awaits the winner of the round of 32 bout between world bronze medallist Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand and Serbia’s Sara Cirkovic, two-time world youth and European silver medallist who won her first elite title in this year’s European Championships in Belgrade where she was also declared Best Female Boxer.
Featherweight: DR Congo’s Africa champion Marcelat Sakobi, Tunisia’s Khouloud Hlimi and Mali’s southpaw Fatoutamata Camara are the three Africa repressntatives.
Hlimi, who outpointed Sakobi in the finals of the Africa qualifiers, received a bye to the round of 16. On August 2 she meets the winner of the round of 32 bout between Turkey’s Esra Yildiz and Fatoumata Camara who, for the first time, will be fighting at home in Paris in front of her parents, relatives and close friends on July 30.
Sakobi will also be in action on July 30 against Uzbekistan’s 2021 Asian champion and world youth gold medallist Sitora Turdibekova.
Lightweight: Nigeria’s African Games gold medallist Cynthia Ogunsemilore and Algeria’s Africa Elite champion Hedjila Khelif received byes to the pre-quarters.
The southpaw Ogunsemilore, on July 29, meets winner between Taipei’s Wu Shin Yi and world bronze medallist Yeonji Oh of South Korea.
Africa champion Hedjila tackles Serbia’s Natalia Shadrina on July 29.
Welterweight: DR Congo’s Mandela Africa Boxing Cup champion Brigitte Mbabi, Algeria’s world silver medallist Imane Khelif and Cape Verde’s Africa champion Ivanusa Moreira got byes to pre-quarters and will all be in action on August 1 while Mozambican two-time Africa champion and world silver medallist Alcinda Dos Santos is drawn against Slovakia’s pro boxer unbeaten in three fights, Jessica Triebelova on July 28.
Mbabi fights Thailand’s 2023 world silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng, Khelif meets Italy’s 2019 world silver medallist Angela Carini.
Moreira’s round of 16 opponent, Oshin Derieuw from Belgium, fought as a pro with an unbeaten record of 19 fights and won WBF world title. She switched to amateur and won silver in the 2023 European Games.
Middleweight: This weight class has 16 boxers with Morocco’s world heavyweight champion and undisputed Africa queen Khadija Mardi taking on England’s national champion Chantelle Reid on July 31.
Men
Flyweight: Zambia’s African Games champion and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and Cape Verde’s 2022 Africa bronze medallist David Pina receives byes to pre-quarters and will both fight on July 30.
Chinyemba meets India’s battle-hardened 2019 world silver medallist Amit Panghal while Pina tackles 2022 Asian Games silver medallist Thitisan Panmod.
Light-welterweight: Algeria’s two-time Africa champion Jugurtha Ait Bekka received a bye to the round of 16, and on Sunday, July 29, meets the winner of the round of 32 bout between Cuba’s world silver medallist Erislandy Alvares and Papua New Guinea’s John Ume.
Light-middleweight: This division has attracted 20 boxers. Egypt’s Omar Elawady received a bye to the round 16, and on July 31 battles Uzbekistan’s world champion Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaeva while Tiago Muxanga of Mozambique will be in action in round of 32 on July 28 against Germany’s Magomed Elim Sultanovic.
Light-heavyweight: Egypt’s 2019 African Games champion Abdelrahman Orabi, competing in his third Olympic Games, received a bye to the round of 16. He will take on Azerbaijan’s 2023 European Games bronze medallist Murad Allaverdiyev on July 30.
In the same berth is Cuba’s two-time Olympic champion Arlen Lopez who also got a bye to pre-quarters.
Heavyweight: Nigeria’s undisputed Africa champion Adam Olaore meets Kazakhstan’s 2022 Asian Championships gold medallist Alek Oralbay in the round of 16 on July 29.
The heavyweight class has 16 boxers among them Cuba’s two-time Olympic champion Julio Cesar La Cruz who is also a five-time world champion.
Super-heavyweight: Algeria’s Pan Arab Games champion Mouradi Kadi is drawn against four-time French champion Djamili-Dini Aboudou in the round of 16 on July 29. The division has 16 boxers.
Credit: AFBC Communications
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